For a few years now, much of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies has looked at Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling differently since she made controversial comments about transgender people. Rowling’s viewpoints have led many people associated with her to speak out against her trans rhetoric, including Daniel Radcliffe’s previous comments and many other Harry Potter cast members, most recently with Dudley actor Harry Melling adding his two cents. However, Succession actor Brian Cox is doubling down on defending the author.
Cox previously shared in May 2022 that he found the backlash J.K. Rowling received from the public to be “deeply unjust.” The Succession star more recently spoke to why he thinks people are being too hard on the bestselling author again, saying this on BBC:
I don't like the way she's been treated, actually. I think she's entitled to her opinion, she's entitled to say what she feels. As a woman, she's very much entitled to say what she feels about her own body. There's nobody better to say that, as a woman. So, I do feel that people have been a bit high and mighty about their own attitude toward J.K. Rowling, quite frankly.
While Brian Cox was a guest on the British channel’s new show Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the news anchor asked the actor what he makes of the way J.K. Rowling “has been treated” as of late. The discussion was being had following Cox’s home country of Scotland passing the Gender Recognition Reform bill, which will allow the transgender community to obtain a gender recognition certificate (GRC) without the need for a medical diagnosis. Additionally, the bill would allow 16 and 17 year olds to apply for GRCs for the first time. Cox said he's "very proud" of Scotland for passing the law but also thinks people like Rowling should be allowed to give their opinions.
Rowling’s early comments on gender and sex began in June 2020, when she took issue with an article referring to “people who menstrate,” which sought to be inclusive to the transgender community not using the word “women" instead. Rowling went on to further explain her viewpoints on the topic in a Twitter thread before writing a lengthy post on her website explaining her viewpoint that brought upon plenty of backlash from the LGBTQ+ community.
There have been other actors who have come to Rowling’s defense aside from Brian Cox. Ralph Fiennes, who memorably played Voldemort in the Harry Potter movies, called the verbal abuse directed at her in recent years “disgusting” and “appalling.” Helena Bonham Carter, who played Bellatrix Lestrange in the movies, has also spoken out about the subject, saying she believes the whole thing has been taken “to the extreme” and that Rowling should “have her opinions.”
Brian Cox famously plays Logan Roy on Succession, a billionaire founder of a media and entertainment company in the award-winning series. Cox will soon reprise his role in the upcoming Season 4 of Succession, which is set to premiere on HBO this spring. You can watch the Harry Potter movies and catch up with Succession with an HBO Max subscription. As far as more Wizarding World movies, there’s nothing for sure in the works right at the moment, but we’ll keep you updated here on CinemaBlend.
